Turntable for automobiles



Ma 1s,.1937. I vR. F; ASH 1 2,080,596

TURNTABLE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 25, 1936 2 SheetsSheet 1 May 18,1937. R. F. ASH

TURNTABLE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedMay 18, 19357 Application July 25,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to turntables for automobiles and particularly toa very simple form of turntable which is particularly designed to beinstalled in private garages or the like, which consists of few partsand these of a relatively cheap construction, and which may be readilyoperated.

Another object is to provide a structure of this character which isrelatively light in weight and in which the turntable is held positivelyin its two fully shifted positions.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the turntable, the vertical flanges ofthe rectangular central frame being in section;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 Figure 1;

Figure f is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section showing a modified form of latchingmeans for the turntable;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary transverse section showing a modified form ofturntable and support therefor.

Referring to these figures, Ill designates a concrete or other floor orbase forming the floor of a garage. This concrete is molded around acentral annular bearing l 3 having a flared upper portion iii andoutwardly projecting flanges 93. The turntable itself includes arectangular frame formed of angle irons, the angle irons beingdesignated M. The angle irons together define a square frame held inplace at the corners by gusset plates l5. From these gussets extendradial arms it of thin sheet metal, these arms being riveted orotherwise engaged with the plates l5 and each arm at its inner end beingriveted, bolted or otherwise attached at l! to a central head i8 ordisk. This diskdlke head carries the downwardly extending pintle orjournal l9 which is disposed within the bearing l l and through anannular member Zil, which rests within the cupshaped portion l2 of thebearing l l. Radial rods 2i connect the horizontal flange of this member20 with an annular track 22 which rests upon the concrete base.

Resting upon the angle irons Hi is a sheet metal plate 23 which at itslateral margins is extended downward, as at 24, then extended laterallyoutward, as at 25, forming tracks upon which the is a cross-section onthe line 3-3 of 1936, Serial No. 92,634

' wheels of the automobile may ride. These tracks extend out forward andrearward beyond the frame I l, as shown clearly in Figure 2, and at theend each track has a downwardly inclined portion 25, the lower end ofwhich approximates the face of the floor. The inner margin of eachrunway or track on opposite sides of the frame bars it is formed withthe upwardly extending wall 21, these walls 2? being disposed insubstantially the same plane as and forming in effect extensions of thedownwardly extending flange or downwardly extending lateral margins 25of the runway, so that the downwardly extending portions 2d and theupwardly extending walls 27 form practically continuous guides for thewheels of the automobile. Between the tracks or runways 25, the plate 23as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is formed with downwardly extending aprons28. Mounted upon the gusset plates l5 are the wheel supports 29 andcarried by these supports are the wheels 36 which engage with the track22. Four of these wheels are shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

It will be obvious, therefore, that I have provided a structure whichmay be readily rotated upon these wheels and the track 22 to bringeither end of the turntable into proper relation to the entrance of thegarage, and that the structure is so light that it may be readilymanipulated by the driver without the necessity of using power for thispurpose.

For the purpose of holding the turntable in its adjusted positions, Imount below each track a pair of shafts 3i, one adjacent each end of thetrack, these shafts having cranked portions 32 and being supported inbearings 33. The middle of each shaft 3! is formed with downwardlyextending dogs 34 and the concrete H3 is formed with downwardlyextending recesses 35 into which these dogs will drop when the turntablehas been turned to bring it in line with the doorway of the garage. Forthe purpose of manually lifting these dogs, I have provided a shaft 35,a lever 31 carried by the shaft and whereby the shaft may be manuallyoscillated and mount upon this shaft the collars 38 constituting doublecranks. From these collars extend the rods 39 which are connected to thecranks 312. It will be obvious now that by rotating the shaft 36 ineither direction from the position shown in Figure '1, that the dogswill be lifted and that then the turntable may be rotated through 180and then the dogs may be again dropped to thus hold the table in itsadjusted position. Any suitable means may be used for holding the lever3'1 in its adjusted position.

The shaft 36 is illustrated as passing through a plate 40 and theexterior of this plate is formed with the outwardly extending boss 4!with which the lever may frictionally engage when it is turned in aposition parallel to the track or runway to thus hold the dogs raised.Any suitable latching device may be used, if necessary.

Attention is called to the fact that projecting portions of the runwaysor tracks, that is, those portions which project beyond the frame I4,are strengthened by the flanges 21 and that these runways are furtherstrengthened or reinforced against depression by spot welding theflanges 21 to the downwardly inclined portions 28 of the plate 23. It isfurther to be noted that the transversely extending frame bars I4, asshown in Figure 4, extend downward and laterally outward to the edge ofeach runway to thus secure rigidity for the sheet metal runways and afirm support for the wheels of the car which will be disposedapproximately over these reinforced portions of the runways.

As illustrated in Figure 5, I may use in place of the sockets formed inthe concrete base In, metallic sockets 35 attached to the floor l0 inany suitable manner as by screws, bolts or the like. This isparticularly adapted for use where the turntable is mounted upon awooden floor though, of course, it may be used with concrete.

I do not wish to be limited to the use of the frame formed by the angleirons M for supporting and reinforcing the body of the turntable asthis'body might be made of sufiiciently heavy sheet metal without thisreinforcing frame as disclosed in Figure 6, where the sheet metalturntable body 24 rests immediately upon the plate m which carries ashort spindle I9. This plate w may be welded, riveted or otherwiseattached to the sheet metal body 23*. The sheet metal body is extendeddownward at the sides, as at 24 then outward as at 25 to form therunways for the wheels of the car. While the spindle l9 might beelongated and inserted in a bearing such 7 as the bearing l I shown inFigure 2, I have illustrated in Figure 6 a relatively short bearing 4|resting upon the floor Ill which may, for instance, be a wooden floor,this bearing being held to the floor by nails, bolts, screws or thelike. This bearing 4| has the outwardly projecting flange 42 and thebars 2| which correspond to the bars 2| in Figure 1 may be bolted,welded or otherwise attached to this flange and then welded, bolted orotherwise attached to the track 22. Of course, under thesecircumstances, the wheels 36 will be used, these wheels not being shownin Figure 5, which will operate upon the tracks 22 and the mounting forthese wheels will be welded, riveted, bolted or otherwise attached tothe sheet metal body 23.

While I have illustrated the rods 39 in Figure 1 as extending throughthe slots in the aprons 28, I do not wish to be limited to this asobviously the collars 38 might be disposed closer to the side walls 24of the sheet metal covering and these rods extend straight outward andpass through open-ended slots.

It will'be seen that a construction of this character is extremely lightso that it may be readily shifted by hand; that very little of theweight of the car is supported by the spindle I9, most of the weightbeing carried by the wheels 30, and

the structure will be thoroughly effective for the purpose intended.

While I have illustrated certain details of construction and arrangementof parts, I do not wish to be limited to these details except as definedin the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An automobile turntable, including a vertical spindle having anenlarged head, a sheet metal plate mounted upon said head, the lateralmargins of the plate extending downward, then laterally outward to formrunways, the runways extending forward and rearward beyond the centralportion of the plate, said runways having upwardly extending flangesforming longitudinal extensions of the downwardly extending portions ofthe plate, the central portion of the plate between the runways havingdownwardly and outwardly inclined portions constituting aprons abuttingagainst and rigidly engaged with the vertical inner flanges of therunways to thus strengthen and reinforce the runways.

A turntable for automobiles, including a vertical spindle having ,anenlarged head and constituting the axis upon which the turntablerotates, a rectangular frame disposed on a level with the head of thespindle and including longitudinal and transverse angle irons, thetransverse irons extending laterally beyond the longitudinal irons andat their junction with the iongitudinal irons being downwardly turned,then laterally extended in a horizontal plane, braces extending betweenthe head and the angle irons of the frame, and a sheet metal plateextending completely over the head and over the frame, the lateralportions of said plate extending directly downward over the lateralangle irons of the frame and then extending laterally and resting uponthe lateral extensions of the transverse angle irons, the runwaysprojecting forward and rearward of the frame and having upwardlyextending flanges constituting longitudinal extensions of the downwardlyextending portions of the plate, the body of the plate between saidrunways being longitudinally and downwardly extended beyond the frameand being welded to the flanges of the runways.

3. An automobile turntable, including a vertical spindle having anenlarged head, a sheet metal plate mounted upon said head, the lateralmargins of the plate extending downward, then laterally outward to formrunways, the runways extending forward and rearward beyond the cen-'tral portion of the plate, said runways having upwardly extendingflanges forming longitudinal extensions of the downwardly extendingportions of the plate, the central portion of the plate between therunways having downwardly and outwardly inclined portions constitutingaprons abutting against and rigidly engaged with the vertical innerflanges of the runways to thus strengthen and reinforce the runways,dogs pivotally mounted upon the runways for vertical movement andadapted, when forced downward, to hold the turntable from rotation,crank. arms operatively connected to the dogs, and manually operablemeans on the turntable for lifting the dogs.

RICHARD F. ASH.

